Mentalist Episode Tag: Scarlet Ribbons, 4x1
by Donnamour1969
Summary: Picking up right after the season 4 premiere. Jane expresses his gratitude, and he and Lisbon discuss what the future might hold.  Spoiler Alert: Don't read this if you haven't watched 4x1! No copyright infringement intended


A/N: Hooray! The new season has begun, and might I say that I am very happy with this first episode. I had a couple of minor problems with it, specifically the unrealistically hurried pace of Jane's trial, but I was certainly pleased with the result of it, and it saved us from going through a long, drawn-out proceedings. What I think I loved most though, was the way Lisbon and the team jumped right in to help him, no anger at all. I read lots of post-finale fics that portrayed Lisbon and the others being very angry and resentful, and while such stories were usually well-written, I never really subscribed to the idea that this would be their reactions, considering how supportive they were of him in the finale. And the other big thing, of course, was the confirmation that the man Jane shot was NOT Red John! I am so inordinately happy about that development, I can't even tell you.

All this being said, I still felt there needed to be a more expanded conversation at the end of "Scarlet Ribbons," so here is what I wish would have happened. I hope you like it.

**Episode Tag: Scarlet Ribbons, 4x1**

"Thank you, Lisbon."

"For what?" She looked at him over her coffee cup as Jane stirred his tea. The coffee shop was across the street from the CBI Headquarters, and they could see the building clearly from their window booth. Jane noticed Lisbon would occasionally look at the place with distinct longing.

"For being there for me," he replied sincerely. "You could have let me rot in prison. I was resigned to serving my time…"

"And at first I was resigned to letting you," she replied. Jane looked up from his tea.

"Aw," he said with a knowing grin. "Here it comes, at last."

"What?" She said noncommittally, willing to let him have a go at reading her mind.

"You were angry that, after all those times we argued about what to do when I finally confronted Red John, I didn't listen to you in the end. I killed him anyway, just like I always said I would, and damned the consequences."

"Yes," she said simply.

"So what changed your mind? Where was the lambasting I was more than expecting in County lockup? What happened to the dramatic _washing your hands of me, you made your bed now lie in it_ speech?"

She considered carefully how she was going to answer. She _had_ been furious when she'd heard what Jane had done, but she had realized after surgery that her anger was no longer about Jane's desire for revenge. It was for putting himself in danger to get it.

She shrugged ruefully, flinching a little as the movement tugged at her stitches. "Being shot by the minion of a serial killer has a way of shifting your priorities."

"Aw," he said again, but his mind probe had apparently stopped for the moment, for he waited patiently for her to continue.

"What you did was stupid, Jane. You should have had backup."

His eyes bored into hers, and what he saw there startled him. She wasn't mad that he'd killed Red John, she was mad that he'd risked his own life to do it.

"Lisbon—" he began softly, and his hand reached across the table to lightly touch the top of hers. He knew for sure he'd guessed her reasoning correctly when her cheeks flushed a little, and her green eyes cast back down to her cup. A week ago, she might have pulled her hand awkwardly away, but she didn't now. Then again, Jane realized, he might not have touched her that way a week ago. That thought rendered him uncharacteristically speechless.

"When I agreed to help you flush out Red John's mole, I was all in," she told him, her gaze drawn back to his. "I thought we were to the point that we could share everything, but you changed the rules on me again, Jane. You brought a gun with you to that mall, and you confronted that man without the rest of your team there to support you. Yeah," she finished ruefully. "I was pissed off."

"And now you're obviously not." It was a statement, not a question.

"No. The relief that we all survived this mess relatively unscathed sort of tamped down some of my righteous indignation. That, and my realization that had a man I believed was Red John confronted me with a gun, I would have shot the bastard myself."

Her soft words hung in the air, and Jane felt like he'd just witnessed Lisbon's final conversion to the dark side, at least where Red John was concerned. She finally understood him, his motivation, his obsession. While he didn't think she'd suddenly develop insomnia or overlook the law in other matters, on this, at least, maybe she'd come to see it his way.

"That's not to say," she continued, interrupting his thoughts. "That when we _do_ find Red John, that we shouldn't bring him to justice if we can. But if that's not possible…" Her words trailed off, but he understood her too. There were still lines Agent Lisbon wouldn't cross, but the line surrounding Red John had gotten just a mite thinner. He nodded to her in appreciation of her redefined position.

"Does the rest of the team feel the same way?" Jane asked. None of them had visited him in prison, after all, and he'd only seen them in the courtroom since his arrest.

"Yes. You should have seen them, Jane, running down every lead, willing to cut corners to give you the benefit of the doubt, despite their suspicions that you may have finally gone irretrievably round the bend. They risked their lives and careers for you. Don't forget that."

"Duly noted. Don't worry, I'll think of some special way to show my gratitude." A vision of his vintage car collection flashed in his mind for the second time in recent days, and he smiled to himself.

They drank their beverages in silence a few moments, ruminating on how much things could change in a matter of minutes, not to mention hours, or days. But now it seemed they were back again at square one.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Lisbon asked suddenly, "but if that wasn't Red John, what made you pull the trigger in the first place? How could _you_, of all people, have made such a colossal mistake?"

"Gee, Lisbon, how could I possibly take that the wrong way?" he asked wryly.

She wasn't daunted by his reaction, but sat back, looking at him expectantly, the cop in her needing to be able to tie up all the loose ends in her mind.

He sighed and set down his cup. "I've asked myself this a million times, Lisbon. All I can conclude now is that I was reacting to the very real psychopath I saw in Carter's eyes. Plus, the real Red John had obviously fed him all the right things to say to me. He was prepared for my questions. He knew the right buttons to push. I saw him answer the phone when you called him, so there seemed to be physical evidence too. He had that gun, knew where I was, knew about O'Laughlin. I had my doubts, believe me, but my overwhelming need for it to _be_ him overrode all my suspicions. I had to take the chance, Lisbon, because I didn't know if I'd ever get another. Whoever Red John is, this only confirms that he will always be one step ahead of me, that I can never put down my guard, not even for a second."

He leaned forward, his hand alighting on hers again, this time squeezing it emphatically, his eyes lit with a familiar, passionate flame. "But it also tells me that we were gaining on him, Lisbon. We almost had him. He nearly saw to it that I was sent to death row, in attempt to get me off his trail, so he's through toying with me now, I can feel it."

Lisbon looked startled at this insight. "This probably means that the next time he strikes, it could be closer to home," she said shakily. "Red John must know that you've figured out Carter wasn't him. You've thwarted his plans yet again. God only knows how he might react now."

His intense expression subsided as quickly as it had come, and his hand loosened atop hers. "I'm not worried," he said calmly. "Red John could have killed me a million times over if he wanted to. Hell, he could have had Carter kill me in the mall, or have someone shank me in jail. If I'd ever let that particular fear take hold, I'd be spending my life in a padded cell."

Lisbon was tempted to comment that maybe that wouldn't be such a stretch for him now, but since she herself had recently begun to think a little more like him, she discarded the snide remark that hovered on her tongue. For Jane's part, he didn't tell her of his very real fear that Lisbon was right, that Red John might be angry enough to take out, not him, but someone else close to him. Lisbon, for example.

Anyone watching the two of them over the last year-not to mention the last week-could see how much closer they'd become. If Red John knew anything, it was how to tear out his heart through literally tearing apart the people he loved most. What he felt for Teresa Lisbon was the closest he'd come to that emotion in nearly a decade, and if he didn't need to be out in the world to protect her, he'd claim that padded cell right now.

"So," she said, setting down her empty mug. "What now?"

Jane's expression brightened. "So, we have a lot of new leads now. We have O'laughlin to investigate. We have our recent electrocution victim, the mall security guard. There were many last-minute details Red John had to work out on the fly. He might have made a mistake somewhere, and if he did, we'll find it. First priority, however, is to get us all back to work."

Lisbon shook her head sadly, glancing again at the HQ across the street. "That's not gonna be easy. We pissed off a lot of important people."

"Meh," Jane said dismissively. "Nothing that can't be undone. Hey, look at me. I just beat a murder rap."

She had to chuckle. "That, you did. You really missed your calling, Jane. You would have made a great attorney. And if you felt like the jury wasn't going your way, you could always just hypnotize them."

He smiled mischievously. "How do you know I didn't do that this time?"

When he saw that she believed him for an instant, he laughed, the unfamiliar sound tugging at Lisbon's heart. He patted her hand affectionately.

"Thanks, Lisbon."

She raised an eyebrow. "For what?" she asked, echoing the start of their conversation.

"For being my friend."

Touched, her small hand slipped from beneath his to lace their fingers together. She squeezed lightly, and he gave an answering press.

"You're welcome," she said. "Now try not to forget that, will ya?" Her warning was genuine, but she softened it with a smile.

Jane used his free hand to signal the waitress for the check, unwilling just yet to physically let go of their new, deeper connection.

A/N: How was that? Please log in and let me know!


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